Electrical connector



C. J. LEMONT ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed April 25, 1941 July 21, 1942.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

receiving slot or groove I5.

Patented July 21, 1942 UNITED STATES PATEN FFiQ 2,290,69 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Clarence J. Lemont, South Milwaukee, Wis., as-

signor to Line Material Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Application April 25, 1941, Serial No. 390,255

6 Claims.

This invention relates more particularly to electrical connectors of the split bolt type having members which are separable but permanently tied together so that all the component parts of a single assembly are continuously in immediate association-the underlying purpose being to obviate delays which would otherwise frequently result from one of the parts being dropped, and also to avoid inconvenience arising out of the necessity of holding onto two separated parts of a connector during application thereof to a pair of conductors which are to be secured together.

The primary object is to provide a connector which is strong and without loose parts capable of causing radio disturbances and which can be manufactured very economically.

The novel feature of my invention has to do with retainer means for tying the separable components together in such a way as not to obstruct separation thereof to the necessary degree and at the same time not interfering with the normal interaction of parts; but said feature is not limited in its utility to electrical connectorsit being contemplated that, the invention may have a considerable field of usefulness outside the electrical connector art.

In the drawing:.

Fig. 1 is a view inside elevation, showing the improved connector in conductor clamping position.

Fig. 2 is a view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in plan elevation, with parts broken away, showing the connector inconductor receiving position. V

Fig. 4 is a viewnon the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The electrical connector shown in the several views comprises a wire receiving member or bifurcated bolt Ill, a clamping jaw II movable between the bifurcations of the bolt, and a clamping nut I2 rotatable on the jaw II and threadable on the bifurcations of the bolt Ill. The clamping jaw I I is provided with a shank I3 extending through the nut I2 and provided with spurs or lugs I4 struck or sheared outwardly from the shank I3 in spaced parallel relationship to the clamping jaw II, thereby retaining the nut I2 rotatably connected with the clamping jaw II.

One of the bifurcations of the bolt II is provided with a longitudinally extended retainer- The groove I5 is formed in any suitable manner as by means of a drill (not shown) which is positioned adjacent the end of the bifurcation so that the drill cuts through the face Iii of the bifurcation as it is directed toward the head end of the bolt, thereby forming a constricted opening I'I into the circular groove I5. The groove may also be formed by providing a drill hole in the bolt in the proper place and then cutting out the center portion of the bolt to form the wire-receiving slot I8 and the opening I'I into the groove I5. The latter method of forming the groove is preferable since it is comparatively easy to direct the drill in the desired path while by the former method there is a tendency for the drill to feed toward the slot I8.

An L-shaped unitary retainer element I9 is formed of any suitable material as, for example, a relatively stiif wire. One leg 26 of the retainer is inserted in an aperture 2| for-med adjacent the upper end of the jaw II, and peened over at 22 to secure theparts against separation. The other leg 23 extends upwardly at right angles relative to the one leg 20 and terminates in a pivot head 24 formed thereon in any suitable manner as by swaging.

The retainer element I9 is interconnected with the bolt It by inserting the pivot head 24 in the lower open end of the groove I5. As the jaw and nut assembly is moved upwardly on the bolt It, the leg 23 is received in the groove I5 and the leg 2!! follows upwardly through the opening II.

To prevent removal of the retainer element I9 from the groove I5, the side portions of the groove I5, at the lower end thereof, are pushed inwardly toward each other by any suitable means as, for example, a round ended punch tool (not shown), to form a socket-like retainer seat 25. It is to be ,noted that the punch tool is placed at the butt end of the one bifurcation at the points indicated by the recesses 25 formed by the punching operation, and the sides of the groove moved inwardly toward each other sufficiently to provide an opening of substantially the same width as the opening I! to receive the leg portions 20 and 23 of the retainer element I9.

A second slot 21 is cut to the'rear of the lower end of the groove I5 in communicating relationship with the seat 25 andpermits the leg 23 to be received therein as the jaw and nut assembly 'is pivoted about the pivot head 24 in the retainer seat 25 to position the assembly to one sideof the wire-receiving slot I3. It is to be noted that the leg 23 is of suflicient length to permit the upper edge of the jaw H to pass clear of the lower edge of the ungrooved bifurcation as the assembly is pivoted about the seat 24 and out of axial alignment with the slot 18. With the jaw and nut assembly in this position the connector is quickly and easily positioned on a main conductor 28. A secondary conductor 29 is positioned as shown and clamped in place by threading the nut l 2 on the bolt I0, which nut carries the jaw ll into clamping position with the conductor 28 and secures the parts in positive electrical relationship. Since the connector parts are retained against removal one from the other, the above described operation may be accomplished through the single hand manipulation of an operator.

It is to be noted that the retainer element is extremely simple to manufacture, being made of standard wire-like material, cut, bent, and swaged to quickly form the finished part. It is further to be noted that no separate parts are needed to interconnect the retainer element to the bolt since the element is directly connected to the bolt by means of the groove, seat and pivot head arrangement.

It is further noted that the present connector provides a considerable improvement over my connector shown in Patent 2,162,561, issued June 13, 1939, in that the head end of the present connector is not weakened by a comparatively large opening extending therethrough as shown in the device of the patent.

Again it is to be noted that the unitary retainer element is moved to unexposed position when the connector is in clamping position, thereby avoiding possible radio interferences.

From the foregoing description and the drawing it will be apparent that the objects of this invention have been accomplished by providing for connectors a retainer element which is slidably mounted directly to the bolt and movable to pivot position whereby the jaw and nut assembly may be moved to provide an entrance to the wire receiving slot; which is simple and economical to make and which will cause no radio interference.

I claim:

1. In combination, two relatively movable members and a retainer element interconnecting said members for tying the same together without interfering with their normal relative movements, the first of said members having a surface along which the second of said members is movable in a predetermined path, said first member having an elongated groove paralleling said path and said surface and merging laterally into said surface, said groove being constricted in width along the juncture with said surface for at least a portion of the length of said juncture, said retainer element being fixedly attached to said second member and projecting into said groove and movable therein lengthwise of the groove and conformably to said path, said retainer element having a shank portion extending into said groove and an enlargement at the end of said shank portion within said groove, said enlargement being so dimensioned as to be incapable of withdrawal from said groove through the aforesaid juncture of constricted width, said groove being open at one end, said end opening being constricted in width depthwise so as to prevent withdrawal of said enlargement from said groove through said open end, the opening at said end being however wide enough to clear said shank portion the arrangement being such as to permit said second memher to revolve bodily about the open end of said groove and thus swing clear of said surface in the manner described without said members becoming detached.

2. In combination, two relatively movable members and a retainer element interconnecting said members for tying the same together without interfering with their normal relative movements, the first of said members having a surface along which the second of said members is slidable in.a predetermined path, said first member having an elongated groove paralleling said path and said surface and merging laterally into said surface, said groove being constricted in width along its juncture with said surface for at least a portion of the length of said juncture, said retainer element comprising a pin fixedly attached to and projecting from said second member into said groove and having an enlargement within said groove which is so dimensioned as to render it incapable of withdrawal from said groove through the constricted junctural opening, said pin having a shank portion dimensioned to pass through said junctural opening of constricted width and to clear the edges thereof so as not to interfere with relative movement of said second member along said path, said groove having a terminus at an edge of said first member'and being open endwise at said terminus, said endwise opening being constricted in width depthwise of said groove so as to prevent endwise withdrawal of said enlargement from said groove while permitting said shank portion to pass through the open end of the groove, the depth of said groove at and immediately adjacent the open terminus thereof being sufiicient to permit said second member to revolve bodily about the open terminus of said groove and thus swing clear of said surface without said members becoming detached.

3. In combination, a first member having a slot which is open at one end and defined, at least in part, by a surface, a second member slidable in said slot along a predetermined path and removable therefrom through the open end thereof, said first member having a groove paralleling said surface and said path and merging laterally into said slot along said surface, said groove having an open-ended terminus contiguous to the open end of said slot, said groove being relatively constricted in width at its juncture with said slot for at least that portion of its length which is immediately adjacent to the open end of said slot, a retainer pin fixed to said second member and projecting into said groove and movable in said groove lengthwise thereof, saidpin having an enlargement disposed within said groove and so dimensioned that it is incapable of withdrawal from said groove through the constricted opening at said juncture, the end opening of said groove being also constricted to prevent endwise withdrawal of said enlargement from said groove, said retainer pin being operative to tie said members together while permitting free movement of said second member along said path in said slot and permitting withdrawal of said second member from said slot.

4. The combination in an electrical connector of an externally threaded bolt member bisected for a portion of its length by an axially extending transverse slot open at one end and defined laterally by a pair of complementary surfaces, a clamping jaw slidable in said slot axially of said bolt member, a nut in threaded engagement with the external thread of said bolt member and movable therealong upon relative rotation, said nutbeing drivingly connected to said clamping jaw but rotatable relatively thereto, said jaw being restrained against rotation relatively to said bolt member, said bolt member having an elongated axially extending groove opening laterally into one of said surfaces and paralleling said surface and the path of movement of said jaw, and a retainer .pin fixedly attached to and carried by said jaw, said pin having a shank portion extending laterally into said groove and then extending lengthwise along and within said groove and having an enlargement Within said groove at the end remote from said jaw, said pin being movable along said groove and operative to tie said jaw and nut to said bolt member when said nut is out of threaded engagement with said bolt member, said groove being open-ended contiguously to the open end of said slot, at least that portion of said groove extending along said slot and immediately adjacent the open end of said slot being constricted along the juncture at which said groove merges into said slot, the degree of constriction being such as to prevent withdrawal of said enlargement laterally from said groove, the open end of said groove being similarly constricted to prevent such enlargement being withdrawn lengthwise from said groove.

5. In combination, a first member having a 9 flat surface, said first member having a groove extending substantially parallel to and opening laterally into said surface, the cross section of said groove being a circular segment the arc of which is substantially greater than 180, the

opening which joins said groove with said surface being of a width substantially less than the cross sectional diameter of said groove, a second member slidable along said surface in a path paralleling said groove, said second member having retainer means secured thereto and extending through said opening into said groove, said retainer means having a shank portion dimensioned to pass through said opening and an enlarged head portion carried by said shank portion and disposed within said groove, said head portion being so dimensioned as to be incapable of withdrawal through said opening.

6. The combination in an electrical connector of an externally threaded bolt member bisected for a portion of its length by an axially extending transverse slot open at one end and defined laterally by a pair of complementary surfaces, a clamping jaw slidable in said slot axially of said bolt member, a nut in threaded engagement with the external thread of said bolt member and movable therealong upon relative rotation, said nut being drivingly connected to said clamping jaw but rotatable relatively thereto, said jaw being restrained against rotation relatively to said bolt member, said bolt member having a groove extending substantially parallel to and opening laterally into one of said surfaces, the cross section of said groove being a circular segment the arc of which is substantially greater than the opening which joins said groove with said surface being of a width substantially less than the cross sectional diameter of said groove, said groove extending lengthwise substantially parallel to the path of movement of said jaw, said groove being open-ended contiguously to the open end of said slot, a retainer element carried by said jaw and projecting into said groove, said retainer element having a shank portion dimensioned to pass through said opening into said groove and an enlarged head portion disposed within said groove and so dimensioned as to be incapable of withdrawal from said groove through said opening, the open end of said groove being constricted to prevent withdrawal of said head portion from the groove by endwise movement, but not so much constricted as to obstruct said shank portion, the arrangement being such that said jaw can be withdrawn from said slot and swung albout the open end of said groove to clear said s ot.

CLARENCE J. LEMON'I. 

